1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a method and a kit of components for implementing a predetermined diet. More particularly, the present invention relates to a kit of components for simplifying the implementation of a system of diabetes control through diet.
In order to understand the importance of the present invention, an understanding of the underlying medical reasons may be helpful. Very simply put, any treatment and control of diabetes includes: 1. diet; 2. diet with oral medication; and/or 3. diet with insulin injections, which always are given on a daily basis. It is important to note from the foregoing that diet is an important factor in all of the various treatments enumerated.
Various caloric diets (ranging from 1,000 calories to 2,800 calories) have been prepared by the American Diabetic Association (ADA) and are used to treat diabetics. Although the ADA diet is a weight reducing diet in many cases, this is not necessarily so. Primarily, the ADA diet is a method of treating and controlling diabetes, and must be a day to day consistency of ratios of carbohydrate, protein and fat for each feeding. Once a certain caloric ADA diet is established for a particular patient in order to control the blood sugar within normal limits, it is a life time treatment. It must be adhered to without deviation for life.
Each ADA diet is individualized by physician prescription, and can only be changed by the physician. A patient must schedule his or her meals to provide regular caloric intake. Meal planning is necessary to avoid alternating periods of feasting and fasting, resulting in too high or too low blood sugar levels. The amount of meals ranges from 3 to 8 meals per day.
One approach to diabetic dietary management involves a system of food exchanges which can provide menu variety while maintaining consistent distribution of daily caloric intake. The exchange list system involves the grouping of foods with similar fat, carbohydrate and protein content into lists allowing the exchange of a portion of one food on a list with another on the same list while composing a menu. An exchange list system has been prepared by a committee of the American Diabetic Association and the American Dietetic Association in cooperation with National Institute of Health which exchange list system was published in 1976. While the lists assist in controlling total calories, and provide information concerning the amount and type of fat present in various foods, the varieties of foods listed are, of necessity, quite limited.
Furthermore, the exchange lists method is somewhat difficult to understand and complicated to use. Also, some foods commonly thought to be in one major food group are actually in another food group.
The foregoing factors coupled with the overwhelming nature of the patient's disease and treatment, results in the patient following the line of least resistance with results in non-adherence to the patient's prescribed diet. This non-adherence to the prescribed diet is a very critical factor in view of the fact that noncompliance with a diabetic diet is very often life-threatening.
In order to urge and help the patient to adhere to his or her diet by using exchange lists, the patient has to understand the lists and how to use them. This is the problem addressed by the present invention. The present invention provides a simple kit of components and a simple method to assist in understanding and using exchange lists. The present invention also provides a means for identifying foods which are commonly thought to be in one food group, but which are actually in another group.
All foods on a ADA diet must be eaten, and also foods designated to be eaten at one meal must be eaten at the meal and at no other time. No foods or meals must be "skipped". It is difficult for a diabetic to use this method of disease control. It is also difficult for the diabetic to understand and use the ADA exchange lists of foods allowed. But the most important aspect is that if the diabetic does not adhere to his or her ADA diet in the manner mentioned above, it could and very often is life-threatening.
Accordingly, the primary reason for the present invention is to help the diabetic understand and use the ADA diet and exchange lists, and to promote 100% compliance with the prescribed diet, thus keeping the blood sugar level under control.
When a diabetic's blood sugar level is out of control, symtoms are severe enough to require hospitalization. While the diabetic is in the hospital, the ADA diet is adjusted in an effort to keep the blood sugar level at a desired level. Additionally, medication doses (if any) are also adjusted. When the desired blood sugar level is achieved, the patient is sent home with an individualized ADA diet and lists of exchange foods which the patient may eat. This is where the problem arises. Very frequently, the patient has difficulty in understanding and using the prescribed ADA diet and exchange lists. It has been found that the diabetic patient requires a simple, effective way in order to adhere to his or her prescribed diet at home and also when eating away from home. Prior techniques and systems do not accomplish the desired result.
2. Description of Relevant Art
The relevant art is exemplified by the three patents discussed hereinbelow.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,314,387 issued in 1943 to Carlsson entitled "BALANCED DIET SELECTING APPARATUS" discloses the provision of a balancing support in the nature of a see-saw or teeter board fulcrumed centrally. An example card is mountable on the board at one end thereof and has illustrated thereon the elements of at least one balanced diet meal. Selective blocks of different weights each having illustrated thereon an element of a meal, are adapted to be placed on the other end of the board. The relation of the illustrations on the blocks to their respective weights is such that if blocks together illustrating a balanced diet meal or meals are placed on the board in a single layer and respectively on predetermined board areas the weights on opposite sides of the fulcrum will be equal and the board, once placed in a horizontal position, will remain in such position. On the other hand, if the blocks placed on the board collectively illustrate an improperly balanced diet meal or meals, then the weights on opposte sides of the fulcrum will be unequal and the board will tip from the horizontal position.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,337,594 issued in 1943 to Easley entitled "MENU CARD DESK" discloses a deck of cards, the different cards of which are so constructed that by selecting a group of cards and stacking them a complete well balanced menu will be contained in exposed indicia of the different stacked cards. The first of the cards has an opening therein, the second of the cards being disposed behind the first card and having a portion crossing and observable through the opening. The second card has an opening registrable with the opening in the first card, and the third card is disposed behind the second card and has a portion crossing observable through both the opening in the first and second card.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,310,316 issued in 1982 to Thomann entitled "DIET CONTROL APPARATUS" discloses a diet control means having lists of various food categories with each of such categories, in turn, listing specific items of food and their respective quantities thereof which constitute what may be referred to as obtainable with a single ticket. There is provided a plurality of containers corresponding to the number of meals to be eaten during a twenty-four hour period, and these containers contain a plurality of tickets which are, in turn, redeemable for obtaining a quantity of dieter-selected specific food items within the food category designated by the respective ticket. As the tickets are redeemed during the twenty-four hour period, the tickets are considered spent and placed within a container for the collection thereof.